"The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the children are playing and we're all going to die."
Author's Note: Blah. I hate that title! It's too depressing. Well, I guess if you take away the we're all going to die part it would be different! So I'll do that!
"The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the children are playin-
Hey! Lloyd, you bastard, don't try and take my position! I'm the author, damn it, and it's my choice.
Lloyd: C'mon, Ian. That stuff puts off readers.
Since when did you know about reader's choice?
Lloyd: Because I read news articles online! It's accurate stuff.
Probably on Fox News- Oh, did I say that? I'm not supposed to show opinions. It could cause people to get angry at me. Crap. CHAPTER START, GO GO GO GO..
Oh, and there's a reference to one of my favorite games ever in this chapter. Whoever can recognize it gets a cookie. Chocolate Chip! The melty, gooey kind.
Chapter Three: Partners in crime- or housework, whatever you wanna call it
Lloyd Hensen stood at the foot of his bed, staring down at the floor in desperation. Very little concerned him these days, so used to the climate and depravity of his environment, but this was going to be very tough.
Lloyd was a boy. Not meant in the gender-specific term (while he did indeed fit that description), but instead in the age-specific term: he was only thirteen years old, but as the oldest of three children, and the most physically fit in the home, he had the responsibility of taking care of everyone, including himself.
It wasn't that large a responsibility to him. Really, he loved that he could help others like this. With his abilities, he wasn't all that troubled by it. But this was starting to grow too large. He walked into the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror for a while. His skin wasn't too dark for his part of the city -- typically, ghettos like this housed under classed black and hispanic families. He was a rarity, being a caucasian. His hair was a bit long- okay, a lot long, considering he didn't really have the money to get it cut, and there was no way in hell he was going to let his little sisters anywhere near his head with a pair of scissors. It was in a ponytail for convenience, reaching down to his shoulders, and a reddish-orange color.
"Mom..."
Lloyd shut his eyes and let loose a sigh. He turned around, opened them again and walked toward the window. He would sneak out. From the second story, it wasn't that big of a jump to do... besides. He had work to do.
Maya Collins was convinced that today was going to be the last day of her life- and the hours leading up until that five o'clock time were the most hellish seconds she had ever experienced. She sort of wished she was back in school - she had dropped out, despite her mother's bickering about it. At least if she was still in, this never would have happened.
And then the clock hit five P.M., and Maya Collins sat down on the couch across from the old man, and let a fake smile of confidence cross her lips. "Time to start, Old Man-
I mean, Kame-Sennin."
Old Man Reh nodded in agreement, an odd wisdom evident in his gaze. "Indeed it is." He stood, and began to walk toward the back door. "Are you ready, Lil' missy? I am about to put you through the toughest thing you will have ever done in your life. This will not be an easy task - Martial Arts isn't. Come meet me outside... only if you are prepared."
"I've been prepared, Kame-Sennin..."
"Then come on out."
The two headed outside, where Maya stared at what was occupying the backyard. The task at hand was enigmatic, leaving her in little more than a puzzled stupor. Next to the pool was a small batch of rocks, each in various shapes and sizes, but all around the general size of a golfball; give or take a few centimeters.
"The task at hand is simple. There are fifteen rocks in this pile. I want you to take them and hit me with at least eight of them - that's just a half of a rock over half of them. You can do that, right?"
Maya nodded slowly, leaning over to pick up the rock on top of the pile. She gripped it tightly in her hand, waiting for Reh to signal the start of this little exercise. After a few moments, he nodded and she took this as such - she aimed quickly and threw with her maximum strength.
The rock flew right over the old man's head.
"You missed," Reh said simply.
She picked up another, and this time, aimed carefully before throwing. She watched as the rock sailed right on track, then was awestruck as the old man did not move an inch - but the rock hit the ground at his feet.
"What's the matter? That was right on track! How come it missed?" Reh asked, raising an eyebrow.
"...T-...that's a good question..." She leaned down and swiped at the rock pile, chucking another quick rock at him, then clapsing her hands together. She did something then she hoped would take Reh by surprise - she chucked another rock at him, before the other one even hit him.
The first rock was dodged easily by a simple step to the left. She made a quick mental note - three out of fifteen rocks had missed so far. And as the other one hit the ground, she made that mental note into four.
"...How are you doing this!?" Maya exclaimed.
Reh remained silent. This left Maya furious - if there was anything in life she hated, it was being ignored. She chucked rock after rock, as quick as possible, and before long there were only three rocks left in the pile. The other twelve lay around the yard, six or seven of them at Reh's feet.
"Three left! Come on, Lil' missy! Show me if you can manage the last three!"
Maya kicked at the rocks, letting them fly toward the side, then used the other foot to stomp on the ground. She screamed in frustration.
"Why is this so hard?! You're cheatin'! You gotta be!"
Reh smiled slyly. "The key to this is your ki."
"The key is my key? That makes no sense!"
"Key one... k-e-y. Key two... k-i."
"K-i? What's that? C'mon, Old Man- I mean, Kame-Sennin, be clearer!"
"What makes the body run? Biological functions, right? The heart's beat, the brain's function, even the kidneys and their urine-making process. Ki is the energy that keeps it all running. It's biological function - and if you know how to control it, a physical manifestation of the soul. All good fighters manipulate their ki in one way or another - not all necessarily KNOW that they do, but they do. All I'm simply doing is using my ki to block the attacks!"
"But that's not fair! I-...I don't know how to use ki..."
"Not many people know it right from the bat. It takes some physical training. To know
how to use one's ki, one must know their own body first."
"I know my body, Kame-Sennin... I've... I've used it all my life!" Maya said emphatically.
"You don't seem to understand... ah. Ah well. You'll understand well enough soon. Let me outline your training for you.. you will simply learn how to control your ki to become a good martial artist. Once you can do that, I will teach you no further. But for today... go on home. Get some rest, and calm yourself."
Maya Collins, without a word, turned toward the door and walked away.
Maek glanced up at Tim Reh with a bit of curiousity in his eyes. "Why her? You've had people with so much better potential show up at your door..."
Old Man Reh shrugged. "I felt like it."
Just then, Reh heard a knock at the front door. Of course, his acute hearing had grown less and less accurate over the years, but it was still good enough for that. He waddled through the house and toward the door, opening it to a young man in jeans, a white tank top and a long head of hair tied into a ponytail. The boy bowed respectfully.
"Good evening, sir! My name is Lloyd Hensen, and I have a request..."
Maya Collins arrived the next day to find a surprise in the humble home of Tim Reh.
She knocked lightly on the door, standing at it for a few moments before the door swung open. What met her sight was a bit confusing, and she stepped back, looking at the home in front of her to make sure she didn't arrive at the wrong place. Sure enough, this was Tim Reh's home, and the boy in front of her look at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Kame-Sennin! There's a woman at the door."
"...I have a name you know," Maya muttered.
"One who groans!" the boy continued.
"Ah! It must be Lil' Missy. Let her in, Lloyd- in fact, both of you, come to the living
room!"
So the two of them came to the living room and sat down on opposite ends of the couch, with Reh sitting in the section in between them.
"So! I'd like you two to meet each other. Since you came first, Lil' Missy, I'll introduce you first. Lloyd, this here is Maya Collins, part-time housekeeper, part-time student."
The boy with the ponytail - she assumed his name to be Lloyd glanced over to her. "A student? But... Kame-Sennin..."
"I'm not going to send her as far as you, Lloyd. At least, I'm not planning on it..." Reh winked in Maya's direction. "Maya, this is Lloyd Hensen from Lower South City. He's come here to Summersville to learn from lil' ol' me, for whatever reason..."
"You're the master, Kame-Sennin! One of the best in the world at Martial Arts! I'll surely win the Tenkaichi Budokai with your help..."
A sly smile crossed the old man's lips. "I guess so, huh?"
"Tenkaichi Budokai? You actually intend to enter?" Maya asked.
"I have to," Lloyd said. His admiring glance toward Old Man Reh narrowed into a gaze of utmost sincerity as he looked at Maya. "My mother is suffering from a rare heart disease called HBD... there's a surgery that can fix it, but it costs so much, and my family can't afford it. I have to use the prize money..."
Maya looked at Lloyd for a moment, before nodding slowly. "I see. Good luck."
"Well, then! Maya, off to your duties... Lloyd, why don't you help her? You can clean and such, right?"
"I have to. For most of the day, my mother's in bed, and-"
"Oi, oi! No depressing details. You can! So, help Maya as your rent for living here. Simple as that."
Lloyd stood and bowed. "So it shall be done, Kame-Sennin!"
At five o'clock, Maya sat down on the couch, and Lloyd plopped down next to her. The day had been full of silence, as the tension between the two students kept them seperated for most of the day -- even if it was unecessary tension.
"That was easier than usual. Could relax a little... jeez. How does Old Man Reh manage to get this place to be such a mess? That combined with the daily grocery trips, the cooking..."
"...Don't complain," Lloyd said. "You should be honored Kame-Sennin has agreed to even let you inside his house. Don't you know a thing about him?"
"I know he's a good fighter. But that's about it."
Lloyd slammed his palm against his face, removing it a second later to glance at her
disgustedly. "Kame-Sennin beat a demon. A real live demon."
"You don't mean-"
Lloyd nodded. "Zeka."
Maya's eyes widened, but the rest of her body was frozen in shock. She had heard the name before. It was mainly in legends - it was history that the world refused to acknowledge, but almost everyone knew.
Zeka was a demon that had, about sixty years ago, plagued the Earth with his unimaginable power. Armies upon armies had fought him, the legends said - but nothing was able to beat him. That was, until a hero came along, and sent him back to
Hell with a magic spell, or so it was said.
"Where did you hear that?..." Maya asked. "All the identity I've ever heard of the hero was... he was a hero. That's it. There's no way that... that old man..."
"Oi! Slacking on the job, you two?"
Old Man Reh appeared behind them out of the blue, causing Maya to jump in surprise.
She sat back down upon realizing the man's identity.
"Oh... it's you... no, Kame-Sennin, it's five."
"Already!? Oh, fine. You two, come outside with me... to the backyard again."
The two stood in an unintended formation, both of them about two feet from the pool
and three or four inches apart from each other, their heads focused in Reh's direction, their hands balled into fists.
"So. Simple enough, today's lesson will be on hold. I wasn't expecting young Lloyd to show up here! Haha!"
"You... made us come outside to tell us that?" Maya asked.
"Of course not, Lil' missy. I want you two..." A smile crossed his lips. "To fight."
Both of them glanced at each other, then back to Old Man Reh. "No way!"
"Oh, not to serious levels, of course. But I want to see what the two of you can do..."
"...Fine," Lloyd said.
Maya was still hesitant. Lloyd had a pretty good body to use: it was obvious he had done strenuous physical activity before, and plenty of times at that. But really, she did not know whether or not she should give up.
"Alright! Fine. Let's do this!" Maya exclaimed.
"That's the spirit! Take your stances!"
Lloyd slid his left leg forward, bending it at the knee. One hand was placed on the knee, while the other was at his waist.
Maya stood there, absolutely confused as to whether or not she even knew any stances to go into. She stood there for quite a few moments, before Reh finally spoke up about it.
"Is that your stance, Lil' missy?"
Not knowing what else to say, Maya nodded.
"Okay then! Begin!"
Almost instantly, or so it felt like, Maya received a fierce punch to the gut. Lloyd was fast. Too fast for her to handle. In that instant, she knew she should be giving up, because Lloyd had experience and power, when she had neither.
But as she stumbled back, holding onto her gut, she could not help but smile.
"Nice shot. Too bad it's gonna be the only one..."
Maya leaped off the ground, forcing her body to get back into drive. When she landed, she ran as fast as she could in Lloyd's direction, managing to score a quick punch. But just as fast as she threw it, it landed on his arm, lifted up to protect the blow's true target - his face. She cursed mentally.
"Is that your fastest speed? Have you lifted a finger in your life? This is just pathetic!" Lloyd said.
"You want to see pathetic!?" Maya exclaimed. "Try looking in a mirror!"
"Hey! That's just- low..." Lloyd intended to finish his sentence much more emphatically, but Maya used the distraction of her insult to lift her leg up and connect her shoe against Lloyd's chest, sending him onto the ground. "Dirty tactics, Kame-Sennin!"
"I'll allow it," Reh said simply.
"Fine! You wanna use dirty tactics... I'll fight dirty too! HYAAA!" Lloyd ran at her this time with a much slower speed: but still fast enough so that her reflexes couldn't manage to avoid the arm that went up to grab at her own. Groaning loudly, Lloyd flipped her onto her side and sent her toward the ground, letting go of her arm. She hissed as gravel on the checker-tiled patio dug into the cut on her arm, which she had stupidly decided didn't need a bandage anymore.
"Gah! That... why you..."
"Heh! Serves you right."
"Left!" Maya yelled, leaping up to her feet. She smiled widely, figuring out that her new dirty tactic worked out as well - it was a mindgame. With the screaming of that particular direction, his attention was directed toward it, however momentarily, and she took that opportunity to deliver a quick elbow to his stomach.
"Alright! That's enough," Reh intervened.
"Aw! But I was just going to pull off my signature move on her!" Lloyd complained.
"I believe we'll be cutting today's session short. You see, I'm very, very hungry..."
Maya slumped with a mixture of disbelief and mild aching. That was all they had stopped for? As much as she hated to admit it, that was the most fun she had had in a long time. "...Lloyd. You wanna fix some dinner with me? I ain't gotta be home 'til eight."
Lloyd looked at her, sighed then nodded. "Alright. Let's cook, and then eat... now that you mention it, Kame-Sennin, I'm starving too!"
Author's Note: Introduction of a new chara cter! Hurray. Been looking forward to this guy... well, solely because I like his name.Lloyd written down is just awesome to look at.
Hope you guys liked this first fight scene. As you guys can tell, it was basic, and just meant to test out my own skills in writing fight scenes. Things will grow more advanced - it's a Dragon Ball/Z fan fiction. 
Also, this release date may feel a bit early, but it's done to start up my official release schedule of Mondays and Fridays. Look forward to Chapter four this Friday!... or just leave this story and never come back. Hopefully the former. Otherwise you'll hurt me feelings. 
"The sun is shining, the birds are chirping..." [Title too long to fit]
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